I've been working on the auction quilts - I have one ready for binding and if all goes well, the other will be at that stage tonight.  Truth be told, I am ready to be finished with these.  More than ready, actually.  There are so many other things I want to make.  Soon.  That's what I keep telling myself.

The girls are home from school today - we got about an inch of snow.  It's kind of sleeting outside now, so it's not even fun to go out and play in it.  I have an arsenal of craft ideas for them.  Hopefully something will sound interesting.  If not, I guess we will bake.  I have some ripe bananas waiting to be made into bread.  And of course, we can always make cookies.

And because I hate posting without a photo, I'm going to share one of my 365 outtakes with you.

Yes, those are bolts of fabric shoved behind a door.  Maybe I can deal with that today, too.  Then again, maybe not.

Hi.  How are you?  Did you enjoy your holiday?  We did.  It was the best of everything - family, food, fun.  Of course, the stomach flu that came with my parents from Chicago traveled with us to Florida and is now making its rounds through the other side of our family.  That part is not so fun.  So far, Kate, Fatty, Evan and Kenan have been hit.  It's making for a very low key vacation - lots of TV and down time.  All good.  I'm washing my hands a lot and hoping that it is going to bypass me.  Cross all your fingers for me, would you?

I'm gearing myself up for a good New Year.  I've got all kinds of ideas and am itching to start putting it all into action.  But for the moment, I am on vacation and I am trying to embrace the calm and relaxation that comes along with that.  Reading a good book, daily napping, taking photos, hanging out...it'll be over before I know it.  I'm determined to enjoy every bit of it while it's here.

I want to thank you all for stopping by my little space, saying hello and reading what I have to say.  I am so appreciative for the support you give me and the time it takes to keep up and comment on what I have done.  I feel blessed to have this little outlet of creativity and am so honored that you have joined me on this adventure.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  This crafting/blogging community inspires me daily and for that I am extremely grateful.

I'll see you all in 2009.  It promises to be a good year.  Really, it does.

It's Christmas Eve and I think I am mostly ready.  Mostly means I have a hat to finish knitting and gifts to wrap and groceries to buy....all very doable in the 8 hours I have until we go to church late this afternoon.  My fingers and toes are crossed that my parents and uncle can get here from the land of snow.  No snow here, just rain.  But my new gutters were installed yesterday so I'm okay with the rain.  Don't get me wrong - I would rather have snow.  But I have gutters and that is an improvement from yesterday.

I beaded and sequined these little ornaments for an ornament swap that Linda invited me to join.  Heather, I have so much respect for you and your hearts.  Wowzers.  That is some fussy sewing.  Once I got in to a rhythm, I rather liked that fussy stuff, just to be clear.  I sent off 6 little Joy pillows and kept one for myself.

My paperwhites started blooming Monday.  That made me smile.

Many of you asked about the big spool of red and white twine.  Every time I post a photo with twine in it, the emails start coming.  I should have known better so here is the info a little late.  It came from Tilda's  which Laurie pointed me to a long long time ago.  You can get it in blue and white, too.  I wish they had green, but no such luck.  And the brown paper?  I got that at Target - in the gift wrap section.  I also use just packaging paper which can be found by the heavy duty tape and boxes.

I think that just about covers everything.   I hope you enjoy your holiday, whatever that might be. 

Happy Always and Merry Everything!

Today is rainy and supposedly will turn into freezing rain and ice as the temperature drops.  Fun.  I did the requisite grocery store stop, filling up on baking supplies and bread.  I stopped by the quilt shop and picked up some goodies there too.

If the roads are bad and school is canceled tomorrow, I'll be ready.  Cookies and quilts - what could be better?

I walked into Whole Foods on Saturday and there they were.  Again.  Peonies in December.  Of course, I bought them.  This time, however, my excuse is that I am feeling very festive.  That is something to celebrate.

What is making you feel festive today? 

Did you?

This week started off on a good note.  I finished the tangled yoke yesterday.  Once it's blocked, I promise to show and tell.

Other exciting things happening this week....

- The election.  I don't and won't talk politics here, but please go vote.
- Local craft swap on Thursday night.  I'm almost finished with my craft for that.
- Wordplay sometime this week - tomorrow, I think.  {Did I tell you the word?  Gather.}
- A weekend trip away for me.  By myself.  I'm looking forward to that.

What are you excited about this week?

Hmmm....I haven't felt like blogging much.  I'm not sure why.  It may have to do with the teenage vampire books that are consuming my time.  Such a guilty pleasure....

When I wasn't reading this weekend, I managed to get the studio mostly cleaned up.  I thought about posting a before picture and then chickened out.  It really was that bad.  I have a pile of unfinished projects staring me in the face and a larger pile of fabric that still needs to be sorted out.  Normally, the mess doesn't bother - it's a creative wonderland, in some ways.  I can see what I have and I fling things about, getting excited as I see new possibilities and then - wham! - I am creating as I go.  This time it's different.  The mess has been keeping me from the sewing machine and I am trying to change that.

I did manage to piece all 96 arcs for my single girl quilts.  Yes, quilts plural, as in more than one.  They are both twin sized, going in Kate's room.  Anyhow, I put one of each square together as incentive to get going on these.  The fabric on the right is going on Kate's window seat which was built well over a year ago, painted about 6 months ago and will finally be getting a cushion in the next few weeks.  I am not making the cushion so it will probably actually get finished unlike some other things!  Ha!  And as I look at this photo, the squares aren't laid out correctly - the balance is off somehow.  I'll have to do something about that.

I have been knitting - I even designed a hat and am writing up the pattern.  But there are no photos of the finished one yet.  It's too bloody hot here - in the 80's.  When the temps dip later this week, I will show and tell.

Back to Bella and Edward....